Opportunist bin Laden is waiting: ASIO head

Mr Dennis Richardson, Director-General Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation at day one of two of the Homeland Security Conference in Canberra. Photo: Andrew Taylor

Australia's security intelligence chief, Dennis Richardson, has warned that a war against Iraq, with or without the backing of the United Nations, "may well" influence the timing of a new wave of terrorist attacks.

Mr Richardson, the director of ASIO, told industry leaders in Sydney that Osama bin Laden - "forever the opportunist" - would also try to exploit contemporary "issues and events for his own propaganda purposes, in the hope that it will feed him more recruits".

"Just as he sought to use East Timor as a linkage point into South-East Asia, he now seeks to use Iraq for wider appeal inthe Middle East and beyond.

"A war in Iraq, with or without UN sanction, may well influence the timing of some terrorist attacks. But of one thing we can be certain: a peaceful solution to the current situation will be irrelevant to bin Laden's intent and purpose. Al-Qaeda will seek to follow through on whatever it may be planning at present; and its targets of first choice will remain innocent civilians," Mr Richardson said.

Even though Australia had traditionally operated in a "very low to low zone of the threat spectrum", Mr Richardson said, the current medium' level of alert would stay in place because of the continuing war against terrorism. But that threat level would need to be lifted to high on occasion.

"In overall terms, Australia does not face the same intensity of threats as the United States. Equally, it is essential to recognise that, through his public statements since September 11, bin Laden has specifically legitimised Australia as a terrorist target."

Mr Richardson said the leadership structures of al-Qaeda and its alleged South-East Asian regional partner, Jemaah Islamiah, had been hit hard by recent counter terrorism swoops.

Even though the network had been infiltrated, and its members now needed to "spend more time looking over their shoulder", it remained a resilient force and retained a "formidable terrorist capability globally".

Last year, of more than 3 million visitors to the country, 39,021 were referred to ASIO for security assessments, but only five were rejected on national security grounds. Two of these were due to espionage fears; the other three because of a perceived involvement in terrorism.

The conference also heard that operators and owners of NSW's major business and service providers were being briefed this week on how to identify terrorist and criminal risks.

The Critical Infrastructure Review Group, a body formed after last October's Bali bombings, will soon meet the managers of obvious targets, such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, after workshops last week with officials from the energy and water supply sectors, transport, emergency services and health.

It is in the final stages of identifying, and putting in order or priority, the businesses and structures in need of attention to guard against terrorist attacks.

"I detect in the community that there is a willingness and a desire to get back to normal," said Ken Thompson, the group's director.